Core Concepts·2 min read

Shopify Product Image Import Modes: Append, Prepend, Custom Sort & Replace

A complete guide on how to sequence, update, and manage Shopify product gallery images using Fillman: Append, Prepend, Custom Sort, and Replace modes explained.

When managing Shopify product media, different catalog updates require different image ordering behavior. Fillman provides four dedicated Gallery Import Modes to control image placement across your store automatically.

Select your desired Gallery Mode in Step 3 (Gallery & Catalog Settings) before starting an import.

1. Append (Default Safe Mode)

  • Behavior: Attaches new photos to the end of the product’s existing media list.
  • Optional Sub-Setting (Set first new photo as cover): When enabled, Fillman designates the first photo from your new upload batch as the main cover (featured) image, while placing all remaining newly uploaded photos at the end of the existing gallery. Existing photos shift down by one position, preserving the rest of your gallery order.
  • When to use: Adding supplementary lifestyle photos, customer reviews, or specification sheets without altering your current main cover image, or introducing a new primary packshot while preserving all previously published secondary angles.
  • Safety: 100% non-destructive. Existing photos and variant swatch links remain completely preserved.

2. Prepend (Promote to Main Cover)

  • Behavior: Places newly uploaded photos directly at the very front of the product gallery.
  • When to use: Uploading new primary packshots, redesigned packaging, or seasonal hero photography that should immediately become the main image visible on collection pages and search results.
  • Result: New photos become the primary hero image instantly, shifting existing photos behind them automatically.

3. Custom Sort (Intelligent Numbered Sequencing)

  • Behavior: Reorganizes all photos in the product gallery according to filename numbering rules and variant priority.
  • Supported Index Formats:
    • Parentheses: product (1).jpg, product (2).jpg, product (3).jpg
    • Two-digit suffixes: product-01.jpg, product-02.jpg
    • Underscore indices: product_1.jpg, product_2.jpg
  • Variant Prioritization: Fillman places variant-specific color swatches (e.g. SKU_Black.jpg) immediately after the main product angles, ensuring shared general assets (such as sizing guides or care cards) remain neatly organized at the end of the gallery.
  • When to use: Standardizing photo galleries across hundreds of products that were previously imported with irregular image sequences.

4. Replace (Fresh Catalog Replacement)

  • Behavior: Clears previous media on the target products and attaches your newly uploaded photo collection.
  • When to use: Replacing low-resolution manufacturer mockups with studio photography, or completely re-shooting a seasonal product line.
  • Built-in Safety:
    • Requires an explicit confirmation toggle in the interface before proceeding.
    • Automatically logged with an atomic Run ID, allowing you to roll back to your pre-import gallery state in one click if needed.

Real-Time Storefront Updates

All gallery updates apply atomically through Shopify’s native APIs. Your storefront never displays broken images, missing thumbnails, or partially arranged states during active imports.